(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an autonomous intelligent vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a steering control system and method for an autonomous intelligent vehicle in which information of near and distant road conditions is received through cameras and used to control the steering of a vehicle.
(b) Description of the Related Art
There has been continued, rapid development in automotive technology since the inception of the automobile industry. In recent times, advances have been concentrated more in the area of electronics than in mechanics. For example, there have been many electronics-related developments that improve engine performance and efficiency, in addition to more recent advances that provide intelligent safety capabilities (e.g., air bags that are activated for operation only if the passenger is over a predetermined weight) and technology that will enable the application of vehicles that can drive without the aid of a driver.
With regard to such autonomous intelligent vehicles, various institutions and organizations are vigorously pursuing research to perfect this technology. An example is the NAVLAB vehicle developed in the United States which is capable of driving by itself on a road that is clear of obstacles. The GRAFE vehicle developed in Germany has capabilities that its developers claim enable the vehicle to travel driver-free on the Autobahn. These and other conventional autonomous intelligent vehicles utilize a camera that supplies road images which are processed and analyzed. From the analysis, automatic controls are performed to maintain the vehicle in a certain lane or side of the road by steering the vehicle, and to maintain the vehicle at a suitable speed.
However, since only a single camera is used in these conventional vehicles to detect road conditions, either smooth cornering or precise lane maintenance is compromised. That is, if the single camera is positioned at an optimal location on the vehicle to maintain the vehicle precisely in the car lane, approaching curves in the road can not be detected such that steering control through the curve is not smooth. On the other hand, if the camera is positioned to detect approaching turns in the road, minute adjustments to maintain the vehicle precisely in the center of the car lane can not be made.